Five French regions join forces for HY-FEN
At the 2025 Journées Hydrogène dans les Territoires [”Hydrogen in the Regions”] event, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions affirmed their support for the project, alongside NaTran. HY-FEN is the hydrogen transport infrastructure that will supply France from south to north, a project that forms part of the country’s energy transition.
On 1 July, the five regions affected by HY-FEN affirmed their joint commitment to developing this major project, which is an essential lever for energy transition in the regions and the decarbonisation of industry. Alongside NaTran, a joint declaration was signed on Tuesday 1st July at the Hôtel de Région in Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, by representatives of the regions through which the route passes, namely Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Agnès Rossi, Regional Councillor for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, François Werner, Vice-President in charge of energy and ecological transition for the Grand Est region, and Pierre Duvieusart, representing Sandrine Meunier, Chief Executive Officer of NaTran.
“Hydrogen is an essential component of France's future energy mix, and it will be developed gradually in the various industrial areas. The result of our extensive discussions with local authorities, producers and potential consumers, the HY-FEN infrastructure aims to promote the decarbonisation and competitiveness of our industry while contributing to regional development. We would like to thank the Regions involved in this project, who, through this joint declaration, have expressed their support and commitment to working alongside us on this project for the future,” said NaTran.
HY-FEN, a project at the heart of local and national energy transition
Over 800 km long, the HY-FEN hydrogen transport infrastructure project (see map below) links the Bouches-du-Rhône to Moselle, passing through five French regions.
This strategic infrastructure will connect the region’s industrial areas to renewable, low-carbon hydrogen production and storage sites, helping to decarbonise the local economy. A major tool for regional development, HY-FEN will contribute to economic development, industrial attractiveness and national energy sovereignty. It will also help to achieve the decarbonisation targets set at national and European levels.
Recognised as a project of common interest by the European Union, it has received a subsidy of 15 million euros from Brussels to co-finance the initial studies.
